Victoria's Secret has changed the language of one of its ads after its use of the words "The Perfect Body" over a photo of 10 celery-slim underwear models inspired a social media backlash and a petition calling the campaign harmful.

The ad, which was meant to market Victoria's Secret's Body bra line, now reads on its website, "A Body for Every Body."

The Change.org petition and the social media protest, using the hastag #iamperfect on Twitter, was launched last week by three students from Leeds University in the United Kingdom.

The petition, which as of Wednesday evening had drawn more than 26,000 signatures, demanded that Victoria's Secret "apologise and take responsibility for the unhealthy and damaging message that their 'Perfect Body' campaign sends out about women's bodies and how they should be judged."

Victoria's Secret has not commented on the backlash or its decision to change the language on the ad.

Dove, the skin care brand that markets itself as celebrating "real" beauty, threw its support behind the #iamperfect campaign last week, posting a photo of six women with everyday body shapes under the banner, "The Perfect Real Body."

New York-based underwear brand Dear Kate spoofed the Victoria's Secret ad, posing women of all shapes and sizes in the same configuration.